Commencement Ceremonies
Saturday, May 11, 2024
Cure Insurance Arena
81 Hamilton Ave, Trenton, NJ
Undergraduate Ceremony
Watch the video of the 2024 Rider University Undergraduate commencement ceremony on YouTube.
Graduate and Doctoral Ceremony
Watch the video of the 2024 Rider University Graduate commencement ceremony on YouTube.
Undergraduate Photo Gallery Graduate Photo Gallery
What do graduates need to do?
Graduates must complete their degree application, pay the graduation application fee, and pre-order their cap and gown in advance of Commencement in order to graduate. The cap and gown are included in the commencement fee.
Graduates can pick up their pre-ordered cap and gown, along with their guest tickets and parking passes, by visiting the Commencement Corner in the Rider Barnes & Noble bookstore during regular bookstore hours now through 12 p.m. on Thursday, May 9. See the Bookstore website to plan your visit.
*After May 9, all graduation regalia will be available on Commencement Day, Saturday, May 11 on the lower level of the Cure Arena.
Graduates who chose to ship their cap and gown to their home address must still pick up their guest tickets and parking passes at the bookstore as per above.
On-campus reception and shuttle
Graduates and their families are welcome the day of Commencement to visit campus for photos and light refreshments. A reception will be held in your honor in the BLC Cavalla Room and patio from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 11.
Luxury coach bus shuttle service will be available for the undergraduate ceremony only when we expect heavier traffic at the arena. To avoid traffic, undergraduates and their families are encouraged to park at Rider, attend the reception and then take the shuttle to and from the arena. The shuttle will run continuously before and after the undergraduate ceremony.
Commencement tickets and parking passes
Graduates for both ceremonies will each receive 7 guest tickets and 2 parking passes. Tickets are required to enter the arena.
Graduates can pick up their pre-ordered cap and gown, along with their guest tickets and parking passes, by visiting the Commencement Corner in the Rider Barnes & Noble bookstore during regular bookstore hours now through 12 p.m. on Thursday, May 9. See the Bookstore website to plan your visit.
*After May 9, all graduation regalia will be available on Commencement Day, Saturday, May 11 on the lower level of the Cure Arena.
No additional tickets will be available. Graduates are encouraged to check with their peers for any otherwise unused tickets.
Commencement celebration suites
The time period to submit applications to enter the lottery to reserve private suites for both ceremonies has been closed. Only those groups that were randomly selected for each ceremony will receive additional information.
Cure Arena Important Information:
Bag policy
Bags that DO NOT meet these requirements must be returned to the patron's vehicle or stored in a locker (lockers are limited & subject to availability - located outside GATE A). Lockers do have a cost associated depending on the locker size you select.
Parental/Medical bags are allowed inside (subject to search) and cannot exceed a 12" x 14" dimension.
PROHIBITED ITEMS AT CURE INSURANCE ARENA
- Aerosol cans
- Air horns
- Alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs
- Animals (except certified service dogs for the disabled)
- Balloons of ANY kind
- Beach balls and other inflatables
- Bota bags or wine skins
- Bullhorns or noise makers
- Confetti
- Fireworks, firearms
- Weapons of any kind
- Framed Backpacks
- Glass bottles or aluminum cans
- Ice chests (coolers) or thermos containers
- Laptops
- Laser pointers
- Outside food or beverage
- Skateboards or roller blades
- Signs bigger than 18" x 24"
- Sticks or clubs (including signs attached to sticks)
- Stools or folding chairs
For more information, please visit Cure Insurance Arena Policies.
3 Steps All Graduates Must Complete!
Preparing to graduate and participate in the 2024 Commencement Ceremony
Step 1. Complete a degree application
Submit a degree application online using the link found in MyRider under “My Academic Tools”. This MUST be completed before April 1, 2024 in order for your name to appear in the Commencement program. Once this deadline has passed, you can still submit your degree application; however, your name will not appear in the Commencement Program. If you have questions about graduation eligibility, please contact your dean.
Step 2. Pay graduation application fee
A graduation application fee of $100.00 is due at the time of degree application. Payment should be made through MyRider. This MUST be completed before April 1, 2024 in order for your name to appear in the Commencement program. Once this deadline has passed, you can still submit your degree application; however, your name will not appear in the Commencement Program.
Step 3: Pre-Order Academic Attire
Graduates can pick up their pre-ordered cap and gown, along with their guest tickets and parking passes, by visiting the Commencement Corner in the Rider Barnes & Noble bookstore during regular bookstore hours now through 12 p.m. on Thursday, May 9. See the Bookstore website to plan your visit.
*After May 9, all graduation regalia will be available on Commencement Day, Saturday, May 11 on the lower level of the Cure Arena.
If you missed the deadline to order your cap & gown, please see a member of the Rider Bookstore team in the Commencement Corner.
Commencement FAQs
Greening Graduation
In support of Rider’s commitment to sustainability, several green initiatives are part of Commencement planning. We aim to limit printed communication materials by utilizing mainly electronic communication. The Commencement program is printed with vegetable-based inks on FSC-certified paper with 10 percent post-consumer waste recycled content. Graduates wear eco-friendly caps and gowns that are made from 100 percent, post-consumer recycled plastic bottles, with an average of 25 bottles used to make each gown. Funding for the GreenWeaverTM graduation gowns has been provided by the Rider University Energy and Sustainability Steering Committee (ESSC). Since 2011, Rider University has helped to divert over 350,000 plastic bottles from landfills.
Questions
Please contact the Commencement office at 609-896-5261, or e-mail [email protected].